1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to modems used in digital communications and more particularly to the arrangement of components forming the modem.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the computer market becomes more global, a manufacturer obviously wishes to be in as many countries as possible to increase its market share and revenues. However, this internationalization has created a number of problems in many areas. Everyone is familiar with the problems of the different languages and there are various solutions to this set of problems. Another common problem is voltage differences for the AC lines, but this is also a well known problem and can be readily handled by uainf different power supplies or ones that can handle multiple input voltages.
A lesser known area of international concern is in the modem area. Each country has different telephone connections and different electrical standards for the telephone interface. In the past, this has always required certifying the entire modem for each country in which it is to be sold. This has resulted in a tremendous logistical problem, and therefore, lesser distribution of many modem products. It was not worth the time and effort to qualify a modem in many different countries each time there was a change to the modem design, as the entire qualification process had to be repeated. This qualification problem either increased the cost of modems or limited the technology available. Therefore, there is a need for a modem which can be easily upgraded without requiring recertification with each upgrade.